This invention generally relates to surgical access systems that facilitate sealed access across a body wall and into a body cavity during a laparoscopic surgical procedure.
During laparoscopic surgery, it is desirable to inflate the abdominal cavity in order to increase the volume of the working space. This is accomplished with an insufflation gas which must be maintained at a pressure sufficient to inflate the abdomen. Maintaining the pressure of the insufflation gas is difficult when it is also desirable to insert instrumentation through the abdominal wall. If a surgeon is interested in inserting his or her hand in a hand-assisted laparoscopic procedure, the maintenance of insufflation pressure is even more difficult. Currently, several devices exist that accomplish this surgical need although they suffer from drawbacks such as difficult placement and cumbersome use. For example, these hand-assisted devices require elaborate mechanisms such as inflatable cuffs and adhesives to seal around a surgeon's wrist or forearm to maintain the insufflation gases. As such, there is a need for a special seal formed around the wrist or forearm of a surgeon to prevent the escape of insufflation gases. Moreover, it is desirable that the wound be retracted, protected and fixed while maintaining the insufflation seal.